[Test draft] Burnham ‘irritated’ by Healey as EU migration row threatens reset

Andy Burnham was left “irritated” by John Healey’s remarks casting doubt on Britain rejoining the European Union, according to GB News. The report points to tensions over both the Government’s European ambitions and the migration concessions it might consider. GB News cites insiders speaking to The i Paper who claim the Prime Minister is prepared to open Britain’s borders to EU migration to secure his Government’s “reset” deal. That remains an anonymously sourced claim: the supplied report does not set out an agreed migration policy or the detailed terms of any proposed concession. According to GB News, Healey told Channel 4 News that he did not “expect to see” Britain return to the EU within his lifetime. The outlet identifies Healey as Chancellor and reports that his remarks frustrated Burnham. GB News contrasts those comments with Burnham’s stated wish, expressed days earlier, to see Britain become an EU member again. The Prime Minister nevertheless said he would “not move ahead of the public”—a qualification that leaves the question of public consent central to any future proposal. The report also identifies a potential clash with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. According to GB News, she had been forced to water down her migration crackdown following backbench anger, and further concessions on EU migration would be likely to provoke